The intersection of 2nd Street and FM 491 for decades is where Mercedes residents and commuting Rio Grande Valley motorists could find the Ten-Ten Grocery Store. The beloved store that sold comic books, pickles and fishing bait closed in 2013. There’s a new business rising on the very spot where the Ten-Ten stood. It’s a Sonic Crush Drive-In. Community and business leaders gathered for a ground-breaking ceremony to celebrate the…
Job opportunities in the agriculture sector are increasing in Texas, and with no other two-year agriculture program in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas Southmost College is filling the need with its new Agriculture and Agribusiness programs beginning fall 2022. “Whenever we consider creating a new program, we look into the demand, the job opportunities in that particular field and after extensive research, we found that there are diverse opportunities in…
The Texas Restaurant Association and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission have launched a new effort to promote TABC’s certification course on alcohol delivery safety. The Texas Responsible Alcohol Delivery Course shares with delivery drivers and foodservice establishment operators the necessary information to safely conduct alcohol-to-go deliveries. The TRA has added the course to its catalog of training resources available for members across the state. The course is for persons who deliver…
Pharr Emergency Medical Services Chief Daniel “Danny” Ramirez has been appointed to the Governor’s EMS & Trauma Advisory Council. Governor Greg Abbott made the announcement via a news release on April 7. GETAC was established in 1999 to advise and make recommendations on the development and implementation of Texas Emergency Healthcare System Rules. GETAC’s mission is to promote, develop and advance an accountable, patient-centered Trauma and Emergency Healthcare System. Ramirez…
Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently highlighted the Port of Brownsville as a key component of Texas’ booming energy industry and as a critical asset to the Lone Star State’s economic success. The news came during an economic roundtable discussion with industry leaders and key stakeholders at the port March 30. “Ports are the gateway to the might of the Texas economy and the Port of Brownsville is vital infrastructure for…
The U.S. Small Business Administration issued four final rules to modify revenues-based small business size standards in 16 North American Industrial Classification System sectors that will increase small business eligibility for SBA’s federal contracting and loan programs for approximately 59,000 additional firms. The final rules are part of the second five-year review of size standards, as required under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. As part of the review process, the…
The executive board of the Texas International Fishing Tournament has chosen Caroline Miller, daughter of James and Becky Miller of Harlingen, as the 2022 T.I.F.T. Hostess. Miller is a fourth-generation T.I.F.T. participant and has been involved with the tournament since she was an infant. She attended her first tournament at two-and-a-half months old and took part for the first time at 15 months. “When I think of the Texas International…
Ruben Sanchez’s man cave doesn’t feature the usual bank of big screen televisions and pool tables, with a stuffed deer head or two mounted on the walls. For Sanchez, it’s “my sanctuary,” a place to retreat within himself to take away “a lot of my demons.” He is a Purple Heart recipient and former airborne paratrooper who uses his getaway to assemble handmade fishing rods in a converted garage of…
The South Padre Island spring breaks of most recent years were quite different from those that came before them. There were lower numbers but some good came out of the leaner seasons of 2020 and 2021. The imagery of rollicking college-aged students was replaced by the more mature demographic family groups. There were fewer crowds to get through with the temporary decline of college youth on semester breaks. The pandemic…
Manuel Alvarez describes himself as a persistent sort, who once putting his mind to something is not easily deterred. Those personal attributes were put to the test when Alvarez took on the challenge of being a baker of detail-heavy Japanese cotton cheesecakes. With the help of his wife Nadia Escalante, Alvarez would “start a business out of nowhere.” Rio Grande Valley communities are dotted with pan dulce shops and long-standing…